The new Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate.

“Those shortlisted should feel very proud to have been selected against such strong competition. Choosing the eventual winners this year will be a really tough task.”

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, added: “It is an honour to be hosting the first ever awards dinner at the new events hall at the Yorkshire Event Centre.

“The White Rose Awards always make for a memorable evening, so this year promises to be extra special.”

He said that the entries for the awards had been “exceptional across all categories”.

“The standard of entries just gets better every year, so huge congratulations to all those who have made the shortlist. I look forward to meeting them all in November.

“As the largest celebration of tourism in the UK, the White Rose Awards are a fitting tribute to Yorkshire’s fantastically diverse businesses that work tirelessly to help to make the county number one.”

Last year more than 1,000 people watched Take That superstar Gary Barlow and co-writer of The Girls musical, Tim Firth, being made honorary Yorkshiremen at the awards when they were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.